How to SOAR HIGHER with a Coach
I have met and talked with a lot of people from all walks of life. In my travels around the globe and working with people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences, I discovered that everyone basically wants the same things in life: to succeed, be loved and accepted, live in peace, and be prosperous. Yet with all the opportunities in the world, most people do not ever reach their full potential. The question is why? Why is it that some people succeed more than others?
There are many reasons why people don’t make the most of their opportunities: lack of self-confidence, not having a big enough vision, negative attitude, and not being able to focus, just to name a few. However, there is one common denominator with people that do reach the top and that is they all have mentors and coaches helping them improve their game every step of the way. Yet you would be surprised at the small number of people that have a coach in their life. So, what does a coach do for them that makes the difference? As a business coach myself, I am often asked about coaching and noticed most people really don’t understand it.
I wanted to share some valuable insights that will explain what coaching is all about and how it can benefit you and your business. After reading this article, you will want one too. Business coaches are like personal trainers. Let’s say you have a goal of competing in a triathlon. The trainer designs a tailored plan to achieve your objectives within a certain period of time. The trainer doesn’t just hand that over to you and say good luck. Instead, they work with you each week on various activities, challenging you, encouraging you, and pushing you to your limits until you are where you want to be. Business coaching is the same. Coaches develop a customized strategy for your business and serve as your “Wingman” until you have accomplished what you defined as success for your company. A business coach is someone that is an expert in the “business of business.” He/she is experienced in all facets of business and knows how to drive clarity, connect lines of business to the vision, execute against a strategy, optimize performance, grow sales/revenues, mitigate risks, and develop new leaders. They ask a lot of really hard questions, hold people accountable, get people out of their comfort zones, and help business leaders achieve their goals. Business coaches are leaders, motivators, influencers, confidants, and trusted partners that offer a high degree of value because they work across all industries and deliver proven best practices to propel your business to higher levels of excellence.
Think about it, in almost every aspect of life, you have had a coach. Every sport played in the world has a coach. You receive coaching at Church from a pastor or Sunday school teacher. You were coached in grade school and college via a teacher or professor. Why is it that you were surrounded by coaches as you grew up, but not as an adult, especially in one of the most important investments in life – YOUR BUSINESS? The reasons vary from pride and being afraid to ask for help to people thinking it makes them look bad or making excuses that they don’t have time. So, what is the value of a coach? It’s very simple. Coaches teach, bring out your strengths, and improve your weaknesses. Coaches push people to do things beyond what they think they are capable of. They make you better personally and professionally.
But why isn’t business coaching more common? Business is arguably the most competitive game you will be part of, especially as a business owner/leader. I encourage everyone to invest in coaching. But not all coaches are the same. I have highlighted the top five things to consider when selecting a coach:
- Coaching is personal. Select someone you like, trust, and is grounded in proper values and principles.
- Coaching is about achieving balance. Choose a coach that sets a good example (walks the walk) and is well rounded in education, real-world experience, health, work/life balance, spirituality, etc.
- Coaches are leaders and have vision. Pick someone that sees things different than you, has a strategic mindset, and can challenge you to do more.
- Coaches are successful. They should have a legacy of success throughout their career and have a passion to help others realize their dreams.
- Coaches are results oriented. They are operationally minded and excellent at taking a strategy and implementing it across an organization with laser precision.
Tom Brady has been in the NFL for 19 years and is one of the oldest people in the league still playing football. This month he made his 9th appearance in a Super Bowl and led his team to win their 6th Super Bowl ring. Amazing right? How is he able to accomplish so much for so long? In addition to his strict training, nutrition, and life balance programs, he has outstanding coaches around him. I saw a recent interview with Tom Brady where he was asked by the interviewer why the New England Patriots were so successful. His answer was, “Because of the high standards, discipline, and accountability of the entire organization around continuous improvement. No matter who you are on the team, everyone can be better day after day and year after year.” Coach Bill Belichick may not be able to teach Tom Brady everything he needs to know about throwing a football, but he does teach him about the strategic aspects of the game and how to win, which makes Tom Brady a better overall quarterback and player. Likewise in business, coaches may not be the expert at real estate, insurance, technology, or any other specific field, but they are like Bill Belichick in that they are leaders and experts in business as a whole. They know how to execute across the entire business domain to help you win faster and more often than most people could on their own.
Now that you know more about the value of coaching, are you where you want to be today? Is your business as successful as it could be? What’s preventing you or your company from operating at its best? What would it mean to you if you were able to overcome your toughest challenges, reduce your stress levels, have more time and balance in your life, and accomplish more than you imagined? Remember, time is short and life rewards action. For each day you spend thinking about these things and not acting, is a 1-week delay in having a better-quality life. The time is now … let’s get started. I’m excited to help you as I have helped many others over the course of my 25+ year career.
Contact me for a free consultation. Engage. Execute. SOAR.